Apple iMac (summer 2010) review:
Apple iMac (summer 2010)

We can also report positively about the iMac as a gaming platform. Yes, the Mac gaming library is still limited compared with that of Windows, but Valve Software's recent release of a Mac version of its Steam digital game distribution service has already paid off with Valve bringing its popular first-person games Half-Life 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2 to Macs. The three games we tested all use Valve's Source 3D graphics engine, so we can't say that you'll see similar scores across all titles available for the Mac. Still, we were glad to see that even at full resolution and maximum image quality settings, the iMac was able to handle all three games relatively well. Using the more forgiving "recommended" settings for each game (as denoted by an asterisk in each game's video options tab), we saw even better performance with relatively little drop-off in image quality.

Even before Valve came along, World of Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo-maker Blizzard Software has historically been committed to the Mac platform. Doom and Quake-developer id Software has also shown similar loyalty. Among those three vendors, that's an impressive array of quality games available for the Mac, and the list is growing. Popular role playing game Dragon Age: Origins also has a Mac version, and the cloud gaming service OnLive supports a variety of titles that work with OS X. Windows PCs will remain the gaming enthusiasts' primary choice because of their upgradeability, at least for the foreseeable future; however, with the expanded Mac gaming library and this system's fast new ATI graphics card, we can confidently recommend this iMac for gaming.

Aside from our gripes about the iMac's video inputs, we're relatively happy with the other ports on the back of this system. You get four USB 2.0 port, a pair of audio jacks, a FireWire 800 port, and an Ethernet adapter. Both eSATA and USB 3.0 are faster data throughput options than FireWire 800, so those who face bottlenecks from large data transfers might feel some frustration at Apple's loyalty to the IEEE 1394 standard. For most consumers, the iMac's existing ports will be sufficient.

As usual, Apple's power management skill is evident in this iMac. We always appreciate a desktop that is both more efficient and faster than competing systems. As with the 21.5-inch iMac, we noted that this 27-inch model was extremely hot on the back panel, especially after gaming. A handheld laser thermometer showed temperatures as high as 118 degrees over the area on the back panel we assume concealed the graphics card. Most other all-in-ones we've tested come in around 85 degrees. You'll want to be sure to keep the iMac in a place where it has plenty of ventilation to avoid it overheating.

Finally, we continue to find Apple's service and support policies cynically structured to encourage you to spend money. You get 90 days of toll-free support and a yearlong warranty by default. After that, you can either refer to Apple's Web site, a Genius Bar, an Apple-authorized service provider, or pay $169 for three years of phone service via AppleCare, which also extends your warranty to three years. That all-or-basically nothing approach for phone support puts Apple at odds with the rest of the PC industry that typically includes at least a year of phone support, if not a lifetime of coverage, at no additional charge.